Join us for a regional workshop to hear from national experts on various topics related to policies, practices, management strategies and other hot topics. Also, come find out how North Texas communities are addressing the challenge of sustainable parking in a growing region. Panels of local public sector professionals and developers will speak on topics such as:

For RSVP and more information contact Travis Liska at liska@nctcog.org or (817)-704-2512.

Automobiles have become an essential part of everyone’s lives. This is why parking supply is also a very important part of every aspect from where
we live to where we do business. Ample parking can give peace of mind that space will be available when you arrive to your destination; however, too
much parking can hinder economic development and be perceived as an unsafe environment to walk. A large amount of land, relative to square feet
of developed property is dedicated solely to parking in the DFW region.

Parking is often found on prime real estate within the central cities and can
limit business expansion, redevelopment, or new development since limiting those spaces may not be allowed per City regulations. Parking
placement is also an issue. Parking located in a business frontage can provide a barrier and unsafe condition for people to walk from the sidewalk
to the store front. The table below provides more parking problems and possible solutions. Parking is a good and necessary resource for vehicles
but the quantity and placement when designed for only the car can create conflicts for alternative modes and may not take into account possible
reductions that could occur if more modes where accessible.

“Cities have needed parking spaces ever since the two-wheeled chariot was invented in Sumeria about 5,000 years ago, but parking did not become a pandemic problem until the 20th century when cars appeared in great numbers.”

A small sample of cities in Dallas-Fort Worth that provide parking solutions:

The City of Fort Worth is running a pilot parking project utilizing meters with ultra-low-power sensors that indicate parking availability through a smart phone app. This reduces the need to drive around looking for a parking spot.

The City of Greenville provides for a limit of 50 percent reduction in parking requirements for mixed-use projects or nearby uses with distinctly different
peak
parking demand characteristics or hours of operation.

One of the issues that causes parking demand and supply problems is the perception that parking is free because you park and don’t pay directly for the space. Parking costs are often recuperated through the person leasing the space which increases the cost of business and may be passed down to the merchandise
being sold so the end user pays for parking indirectly whether they need the parking space or not. Parking can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $32,000 per space which is dependent on land value, structure, and amenities. Surface parking consists of paved land where the vehicle can park. Structured parking,
sometimes referred to as garage parking, consists of various levels that allow parking in each level.

Parking Cost Estimates as of 2007

Type

Construction Costs
per Space

Comments

Surface parking

$5,000 - $10,000

Range includes from low-end asphalt to details such as cobbles and brick pavers

Parking under townhome

$14,000

Multi-family (Texas Donut) or
mid-rise building

$17,000 - $20,000

Open undecorated parking decks

Multi-level with special features

$28,000 - $32,000

If the parking is to be incorporated into the urban fabric of a community, the cost of a special feature like retail wrap or an enhanced facade typically adds additional cost of a parking space

Source: TCRP Report 128 Effects of TOD on Housing, Parking and Travel

There are solutions to the parking problems such as Parking Management. Parking management refers to the policy and program strategies that utilize existing
parking facilities more efficiently. Here are some of the most common parking management strategies:

Shared Parking – this results in one or more businesses sharing the parking facility mainly because their business hours are different. For example, an office
may not need to utilize parking spaces in the evenings or weekends, during which time an establishment such as a restaurant could utilize the spaces in these
off-peak periods.

Park-and-Ride – this can result in parking being placed in more remote areas and users can be shuttled to the destination. This helps alleviate parking supply in
an area such as a downtown where land can be scarcer.

Unbundle Parking – this can result in parking being sold or rented separately than a building’s purchase or lease price. The building’s occupants are then able to
purchase or lease the actual parking spaces that are needed. Cities and developers/builders would work together on the appropriate reduction allocation.

The table below provides many more Parking Management Strategies and their associated impacts.

Parking Management Strategies

Strategy

Description

Typical
Reduction

Traffic
Reduction

Shared Parking

Have each parking space serve multiple users and destinations.

10 - 30%

Parking Regulations

Regulations that favor higher-value uses such as service vehicles, deliveries, customers, quick errands, and people with special needs.

10 - 30%

More Accurate and Flexible Standards

Adjust parking standards to more accurately reflect demand in a particular situation.

10 - 30%

Parking Maximums

Establish maximum parking standards.

10 - 30%

Remote Parking

Provide off-site or urban fringe parking facilities.

10 - 30%

Smart Growth

Encourage more compact, mixed, multi-modal development to allow more parking sharing and use of alternative modes.

10 - 30%

X

Walking and Cycling
Improvements

Improve walking and cycling conditions to expand the range of destinations serviced by a parking facility.

Parking cash-out programs allow employers who provide free parking to offer a cash allowance to employees who choose not to use a parking space and
instead find an alternative means to commute to the worksite. To learn more about the Parking Cash-Out program, please visit http://www.nctcog.org/trans/air/programs/parking/index.asp